White House blocks Fauci from testifying, says 'counter-productive'

The White House on Friday blocked Anthony Fauci, an infectious disease expert and central figure in the administration's response to the noval coronavirus, from testifying before Congress.

"While the (Donald) Trump Administration continues its whole-of-government response to COVID-19, including safely opening up America again and expediting vaccine development, it is counter-productive to have the very individuals involved in those efforts appearing at Congressional hearings," White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere said in a statement.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci speaks during a coronavirus response meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, the U.S., April 29, 2020. /Reuters

"We are committed to working with Congress to offer testimony at the appropriate time," the statement added.

Fauci's testimony was being sought for a May 6 hearing by a House Appropriations subcommittee that oversees health programs, said spokesman Evan Hollander.

Trump and the Democratic-controlled House have repeatedly clashed over lawmakers' attempts to investigate administration actions.

In recent days, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer have urged wide-ranging investigations into Trump's handling of the coronavirus outbreak, which has killed tens of thousands of Americans.

Trump, cooped up in the White House for weeks due to the coronavirus lockdown, flew to Camp David, Maryland, on Friday for a weekend away at the presidential retreat – the first time Trump had left the White House grounds since March 28.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Dr. Anthony Fauci with U.S. President Donald Trump during the coronavirus response daily briefing at the White House in Washington, the U.S., April 10, 2020. /Reuters

Fauci versus Trump

Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has been one of the leading medical experts helping to guide the U.S. response to the highly contagious virus that has swept across the United States.

The 79-year-old has been generally viewed as a reliable source of information by American people amid the pandemic.

A study released Wednesday by the University of Southern California's Center for the Digital Future and the Interactive Advertising Bureau found that 45 percent of 1,000 adult Americans surveyed said they rely on Fauci for coronavirus information, leading all the other options.

Online conspiracy theorists have accused Fauci of trying to undermine Trump as shutdowns have battered the country's economy, although a recent study conducted by the Imperial College in London validates the legitimacy of "social distancing." The guidelines could save millions of lives, the study said.

Fauci said the government's slow response caused more deaths and some media reported that Trump would fire the expert, but the president denied the news.

"If we had, right from the beginning, shut everything down, it may have been a little bit different," said Fauci.

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